A lifetime in forestry across two continents

Bob Hendy has led a fascinating life, deeply intertwined with forestry, spanning two continents and more than half a century.

Growing up in Southwest England, he was guided by the influence of his father, a gamekeeper who protected pheasants from poachers and predators on a 2,500-acre estate. His father’s work, which involved eliminating vermin and setting traps, sparked Bob’s early interest in outdoor work and forestry.

At 24 Bob’s journey took a significant turn when he set off on an almost five-month overland adventure from his home county of Devon, renowned for its picturesque rolling countryside and villages with thatched cob cottages.

Accompanied by two women—one a Kiwi returning home, the other Canadian—he travelled through 20 countries before arriving in the ruggedly beautiful landscape of Blenheim, where plans to continue to South America for a working holiday fell away.

Before the journey, Bob had been working for the England Forestry Commission, so he had written to the NZ Forest Service to try and secure work. “They wrote back saying that they recoginsed I had forestry skills and experience, but they couldn’t promise me a job,” Bob says.

Despite initial uncertainties, upon arriving in Blenheim he secured a position with the Forest Service and was stationed at the forestry camp in Tapawera.

“Logging here was totally different. Back home we logged in pairs and worked with tree varieties like Norway Spruce, Larch, Douglas Fir and pines,” recalls Bob, “so it was a real change for me.”

“I was never an academic,” Bob says. “My parents wanted me to be a policeman in the UK as that would have meant I could retire at 45, but I liked being outdoors in the woods.”

Over the next 52 years, Bob’s career in forestry flourished. He engaged in a wide range of roles and tasks, from manual logging and operating machinery and swing yarders, to overseeing crews, and training loggers across Tasman.

His involvement in haulers became a particular highlight, and he played a part in establishing Nelrig Wire Ropes Services. It’s fair to say he tried and enjoyed it all.

“When I started out the forestry safety requirements were a pair of steel cap boots and a helmet that was it,” Bob says smiling.

“From then to now it’s amazing how machinery has evolved. There are not too many 20 tonne diggers around now, most of the machines are bigger. I remember when raising spas/rigging wooden pole for a hauler was a two-day job, getting all the ropes on and then standing the poles up.

“Now haulers have their own steel towers and ropes attached which can be set up in a few hours, or less. Some are even self-propelled and can travel short distances. All these advancements were unthinkable back then.”

Now 77 and retired, Bob remains closely connected to the forestry world through his son-in-law’s forestry crew. “Some log to live, some live to log, be safe,” Bob remarks fondly.